Keyser High School (West Va.) New Rash Hot Spot

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http://www.times-news.com/stories/2002/march/day11/1372973.html

Saturday, March 09, 2002

Rash weaves through Keyser

JAMES RADA

Times-News Staff Writer

KEYSER, W.Va. -- It began on Thursday morning with just one high school

student scratching at his arms and upper body. By noon, dermatologist

McCagh had seen 30 students, all with the same inexplicable rash.

" It seems to start on one arm around the elbow area, move to the other arm

and then to the chest and trunk, " said McCagh.

The disease that causes the rash has been working its way around the country

since October. For the past three weeks, it has been in southern West

Virginia, but Thursday the redness began showing up on students' arms and

torsos in Keyser High School.

While the disease causes itching and redness, it doesn't cause any other

problems. Also, though it is apparently transmitted by close contact, it

doesn't seem to be affecting adults, such as faculty or parents.

" It seems to hit and then move on, " said McCagh.

According to McCagh, the disease lasts about 24 to 72 hours.

" The school nurse told me that the kids who had it yesterday are already

starting to look better, " said McCagh on Friday.

The Keyser High School principal and nurse were not available for comment,

but the Mineral County Health Department confirmed that there were no new

cases of the rash reported Friday.

" We don't know for sure what this is. It is probably a parvo virus or an

echo virus, " said McCagh.

The reason he suspects parvo is because there is a disease called Fifth

Disease, which is caused by a strain of parvo, that has similar symptoms

except that it begins on the face rather than the arms. Other physicians

think it may be something else, though.

" We can't prevent this any more than you can prevent a student from catching

the flu, " said McCagh.

The recommended treatment if a student comes down with the symptoms is to

stay home and rest, take Benadryl or apply topical moisturizers or cortical

steroids.

McCagh said that he had seen one possible case of the rash on an Allegany

County elementary student. The case is a few days old, though, and does not

seem to have caused an outbreak in the school.

Doris Ann Bittner, school health nurse supervisor, confirmed that the

Allegany County Health Department was aware of the possible case and that

school nurses had been contacted about watching for it.

Rashes on students have been reported in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida,

Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas,

Virginia, Washington and West Virginia since October.